


A Beautiful Sight, We're Happy Tonight

by im2old4thisotp



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: F/M, FBI Agent Stiles Stilinski, Fluff, Gift Exchange, Married Couple, Researcher Lydia Martin, Stydia Secret Santa 2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-27 01:07:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17152445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/im2old4thisotp/pseuds/im2old4thisotp
Summary: Stiles and Lydia have been apart for weeks. They get gifts for one another as a surprise.





	A Beautiful Sight, We're Happy Tonight

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Blair for organizing the Stydia Secret Santa!
> 
> Alice, I hope you like your gift!
> 
> I've been in a major writing slump. So grateful it seemed to let up just in time for me to finish this. I haven't written Stydia in so long--I missed them!!
> 
> Merry Christmas, everyone!

 

Stiles was exhausted. 

He’d been on the road with the bureau for six weeks, tracking a cyber-hacker. It sounded like sit-at-the-desk type of work, but no. Stiles would never be that lucky. It was hike-to-five-different-states, dig-through-financials-and-thousands-of-lines-of-code, find-the-hacker-in-a-crusty-bomb-shelter-in-the-woods type of work. 

But it was finally done. Just in time for Christmas, thank God. And now? All Stiles wanted was to finally be  _ home. _ Warm house, cozy socks, sweatpants, hot homemade cider, and  _ sleep. _ Sleep like the dead. No random city noises or sirens blazing or 3am calls from his partner tearing him out of the best kinds of dreams. Now, it would be peaceful. Oh—and his pillow! Still can’t sleep without it.

The  _ best _ part of being home of course, was the best wife in the entire universe, Lydia Martin-Stilinski.

Thank God for technology, really. Going six weeks without seeing her entirely would have been an acute form of torture for him. As it was, his fingers drumming on the steering wheel, his free foot bouncing erratically in the foot well, he was barely keeping it together. He wanted to run inside the house and knock her over with hugs and kisses, while simultaneously standing in the doorway of the room and drinking her in from afar.

They had talked as often as they could, FaceTime keeping them in touch as much as work would allow. But for Stiles, it would never be as good as seeing her catching up on  _ The Good Place _ on their living room couch, or curling her hair in their bathroom, or propped up in their bed with a copy of  _ Scientific American _ in her lap. Lydia filled up the spaces in their home the same way she had filled up the space in his heart for so long. When they had to spend time apart, he felt the emptiness in his very bones.

He finally pulled up into the driveway of their home, the warm lights from inside glowing and making him smile. He could see the Christmas tree twinkling in the front window, and he felt a twinge of sadness at not getting to help Lydia decorate it. He loved his job, loved solving the puzzles and feeling like he was making a difference, but missing these things never got easier. Missing  _ her _ never got easier.

He glanced over to the passenger seat where her gift was carefully wrapped. They had agreed not to exchange gifts this year, with every spare cent going to pay off their mortgage in record time. But the thought of not giving Lydia something for Christmas was just not going to work for him, so over the last six months he’d been making some extra money doing work on the side. It had almost killed him, but giving Lydia the Zac Posen dress with matching Louboutins was going to be worth it. She’d be the best dressed one at the New Year’s Eve party this year. Wait—what was he saying? She was  _ always _ the best dressed there. But he couldn’t wait to see her in this dress.

He was so excited to see the look on her face when he gave it to her, so without waiting any longer, he grabbed the gift box, his messenger bag, his carry-on bag, and headed inside.

The house smelled incredible when he walked in. A mixture of pine, vanilla, and the most delicious baking smell wafting in from the kitchen.

“Lydia? Babe?” he called out.

The high-pitched squeal from the kitchen erupted a smile on his face, and he had just lowered his things onto the floor and out of the way before she jumped into his arms. 

Her arms wrapped around his shoulders, her face buried into his neck, and he lifted her with ease, his own head dropping to her shoulder to lay kisses there. His arms could wrap completely around her small frame, his hands splayed along her sides and holding her tight.

“Oohmmdahmsstoo!”

Stiles laughed as her muffled voice was completely distorted against his jacket. “Is my wife  _ attacking _ me?”

Lydia lifted her head to look into his eyes, her face alight with joy. “Oh my god,  _ I missed you.” _

Stiles beamed back at her, leaning forward to press their lips together, and she smiled into his kiss and couldn’t contain her giggles. He squeezed his fingertips, and she squealed again, her ribcage the most ticklish part of her body.

“No! Stiles—!” She erupted in laughter, squirming in his arms, but unable to get away. He lowered his head to her neck and lay sloppy kisses along the tendon there, feeling her laughter under his lips.

Her joy filled his entire heart. Their video calls had always been laced with a tinge of loneliness, of longing. But here, in the entryway of the place they called home, the fear and the worry were stripped away, and they were left with the peace of being together at last.

Stiles slowly lowered Lydia to the ground, meeting her lips for a few more kisses, and although he wanted to deepen it further, he forced himself to pull back, nearly groaning with need as she chased after his lips.  _ God,  _ he wanted her—but the excitement of his gift was too much. He’d take the rest of the night to worship her, to press into her skin the depths of his love and the peace he felt when they were together. He’d take her apart with his fingers and kiss her back together again.

She pulled away finally, and brought her hands up to his cheeks, cradling them gently, searching over his face, gazing into his eyes like she was quenching a long-denied thirst. Her voice was low, gentle as she spoke.

“You okay?”

Stiles exhaled. “It was too long this time.”

She searched his eyes again, then leaned into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her once again, his hands spanning her back. The deep scoop in the back of her dress allowed his fingers to just brush against her skin, and he felt her shudder. His fingers took their time stroking her, re-learning the feel of her silk against his rough pads.

“I’m sorry,” Stiles murmured. “I don’t want to be away this long.” 

“No, it’s okay,” Lydia assured him, her fingers now teasing the hair at the back of his neck. “I was fine while you were gone. I had work, your dad was close, it was  _ fine.” _

“Fine wasn’t good enough for  _ me _ ,” he said to her temple. “I was a wreck.”

Lydia hummed lightly, laying a gentle kiss to the hollow at the base of his throat. He felt the goosebumps erupt over his skin. “I was fine,” she said. “But I wasn’t  _ good. _ ”

“It won’t be like this forever, I promise.”

“I know. And until then? I think we should get a dog.”

Stiles chuckled. This was an ongoing discussion between the two of them—Stiles had definitely been thinking about it, especially when work kept him away for longer stretches. He shifted his weight and his foot hit the box at his feet, reminding him of his earlier excitement.

“I  _ do _ have something for you.”

Lydia pulled back, her face questioning. “What is it?”

Stiles kissed her forehead, then leaned down and handed her the large, wrapped box.

“ Mieczyslaw Stilinski, you are  _ not _ supposed to get me any Christmas presents this year!” Lydia’s tone was scolding, but her eyes were sparkling, and Stiles knew she was excited.

She carried the box into the living room, and sat down on the sofa. She was practically buzzing.

“This thing is  _ huge! _ What’s in it?”

Stiles grinned, sitting on the sofa next to her. “Open it and find out.”

Lydia started ripping off the paper. “Is it that glassware set I wanted? Or—oh! Is it a new game to play with Jackson and Ethan when they visit?”

“Just  _ open it _ .”

The last of the paper was finally gone, and Lydia lifted the box and pulled back the tissue paper. Then she gasped and froze. Her eyes widened, her mouth opening almost imperceptibly. Stiles was holding his breath, waiting to see her reaction after the shock.

Her hands ever-so-gently drifted over the emerald green satin, barely bringing herself to touch it. He heard her exhale, the whispered  _ oh Stiles _ barely heard above the ruffle of the tissue paper.

She looked up at him. “H-h-how?”

Stiles flushed. “I joined one of those MLMs and made some extra money on the side. I wanted to have something that would make you feel as beautiful as you are to me. Do you like it?”

“Like it?” Lydia asked. She looked down at the dress again, her fingertips skimming over the satin, caressing the gathers and folds on the bodice. Finally, she grasped the shoulder and pulled the gown up and out of the box, it’s long length unfolding and revealing the entirety of the emerald creation, from the off-the shoulder neckline to the mermaid hem. Lydia’s breath hitched as she caught sight of the sparkle lying underneath the next layer of tissue paper, and Stiles heard her subtle squeal as she draped the gown over her arm and pulled out the sparkly shoes lying underneath.

_“Zac Posen and Louboutins?”_ she squeaked out. “Stiles Stilinski, did you join _the_ _Mob?_ ”

Stiles chuckled. “Nope! Just a jewelry company.”

She spluttered. “What? You sold  _ jewelry?” _

Stiles sat up straight. “I _kicked_ _ass_ selling jewelry. A surprisingly large number of men at the bureau were happy to have my expert advice when it came to buying accessories for their significant others.”

“Apparently! Oh my god.” Lydia’s eyes roamed over the dress and the shoes again, still astounded. “I—I can’t believe you did this.”

“I still can’t really tell if you like it.”

Lydia didn’t pull her eyes away from the dress as she exclaimed, “Stiles, it’s  _ insane! _ It’s impulsive and outrageous and completely over-the-top!”

Stiles wanted to melt into the couch. But before he could do it, Lydia grabbed his hand and tugged on it. He raised his eyes to hers, and found them sparkling and full of joy. “You still knock me over with how much you love me. And this is just another one of those ways. You’re  _ amazing _ . And I love the dress  _ almost _ as much as I love you.”

Stiles blew out a breath. “Oh thank god.”

Lydia laughed gently and leaned over to kiss him. “Thank you,” she murmured when they finally pulled apart.

Stiles felt the warmth flow through his heart. “Merry Christmas.”

Lydia smiled before returning her eyes to the dress, caressing the fabric and trailing her fingers over the detailing. “This dress is satin, so I need to hang it up.”

“Let me do it,” he insisted, getting up from the couch. “I want to change clothes, anyway.”

Lydia stood as well, looking longingly at the dress before handing it over to Stiles. She sighed. “Oh, I can’t wait to wear it.”

“I can’t wait to  _ see you  _ in it. The lady at Saks was practically salivating.”

Lydia straightened her shoulders. “Okay, you. Go change, take care of my pretty, and then come to the kitchen. I have something for you, too.”

“Is it that amazing smell?”

Lydia smiled coyly at him. “ _ You’ll see.  _ Now go!” She smacked him on the butt as he took the dress, and he laughed and grabbed his carry-on bag and headed to their bedroom.

He couldn’t change fast enough, as the smells had begun wafting upstairs, making his mouth water. He couldn’t  _ quite _ place the smell, but it definitely smelled  _ amazing. _ Sweet and buttery, like something out of an NYC bakery.

He rushed back downstairs, and just as he was about to enter the kitchen, Lydia yelled at him to freeze.

“Close your eyes!”

Stiles scoffed. “I haven’t seen you for six weeks and you’re going to make me close my eyes when I’m with you?”

Lydia appeared in the kitchen doorway, hands on hips. “It’s just for a minute, you scruffy-looking nerf herder.”

“Who you calling scruffy-looking?” He smirked.

Lydia rolled her eyes at him, and put her petite hand over his eyes. She grabbed his hand in her free one, and pulled him into the kitchen, leading him to the island and pushing him gently into one of the barstools.

“Okay,  _ sit. _ And close your eyes.  _ No peeking.” _

He heard Lydia shuffling around the kitchen a bit, opening a drawer or two, the silverware clinking together. Then he smelled something incredible, just under his nose.

“Open your mouth.”

It spoke of the incredible trust they had with each other that he did what she asked right away. And there were zero regrets when Lydia gently placed something warm in his mouth and it immediately erupted with flavor.

The first thought he had wasn’t of apricot or butter, powdered sugar or bread, though those flavors certainly burst on his tongue right away. His first thought was of his mom. Of the days before Christmas, singing Andy Williams’ Christmas songs in the kitchen while his cheeks were dusted with white flour, dough caked under his nails. Of her lips pressed against his temple, her hands rustling through his hair, and laughter. So much laughter.

Stiles tried to eat as slowly as he possibly could, the sensory recall so strong that tears sprang unbidden to his eyes. He sat in silence, chewing slowly, and let the memories flood into the forefront of his mind again.

When the bite was over, he opened his mouth again, and he heard Lydia’s soft exhale. The utensils scraped against the plate, and then another bite was placed on his tongue, his lips sucking against the tines to take every last morsel.

Claudia had a flowered apron that was her grandma’s, and she always kept chocolate chips in the front pocket that Stiles would munch on while they baked. It kept him out of the dough, she said. She’d whisper the ingredients in his ear in both English and Polish. He loved how the word for the pastry,  _ kołaczki, _ rippled off her tongue. His Dad would lean back in his chair and pat his stomach after Christmas dinner, exclaiming how full he was, but he always seemed to make room for two or three  _ kołaczki. _

After Stiles swallowed the second bite, he slowly opened his eyes and found Lydia leaning on the counter, looking at him lovingly. He had a million questions, and they all must be written on his face, because Lydia started to explain.

“Six weeks was a long time without you. So I went over to your Dad’s a few times a week after work. We started talking about your mom, and the things you all used to do together, and he mentioned these.” She gestured to the plate of the colorful pastries, the diamond patterns coated with orange and blue and red jelly.

“She didn’t have a recipe, your Dad said, just a verbal one that his mom had taught Claudia when they got married.”

Stiles nodded. “We tried to make them once or twice after she died, but they never tasted the same.”

Lydia agreed. “It definitely took trial and error. I went through  _ so _ many eggs. But about week four, when I gave him a test bite, he got the same look on his face that you just had.” She smiled softly at him. “That’s when I knew I had it.”

Stiles stared at her in awe. She made him that way all the time—astounded over and over again at how much she  _ got _ him. How much she saw who he was and what he valued, how she took care of him and his dad so well. He’d never get over it. Ever.

“They’re perfect.”

Lydia flushed and ducked her head. “You like them.”

“They made me remember her in a way I had forgotten.” Stiles placed his fingers underneath her chin and gently lifted her face, his thumb brushing gently against her cheek. “Thank you for this.”

Lydia’s half-smiled at him, then turned her chin to place a kiss to his thumb. “You’re welcome,” she murmured softly. “Merry Christmas.”   
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! I LIVE for kudos and comments! Consider them my Christmas gift. :)
> 
> The dress that Stiles buys for Lydia is [ this stunner.](https://www.saksfifthavenue.com/zac-posen-stretch-satin-off-the-shoulder-gown/product/0400010275080?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374306418048&R=889527544866&P_name=Zac+Posen&N=4294911861+306418048&bmUID=mvlAp3b%22)
> 
> The dessert that Lydia makes for Stiles is a traditional Polish pastry. You can find a recipe [ here.](https://www.thespruceeats.com/polish-kolaczki-recipe-1136953%22)
> 
> Stiles being a jewelry salesman is directly influenced by a guy friend of mine from high school who is a national sales leader for a jewelry company. He reminded me of Stiles.
> 
> Find me on [Twitter ](http://www.twitter.com/im2old4thisotp)and [Tumblr.](http://im2old4thisotp.tumblr.com)


End file.
